We have had the benefit of two major addresses on foreign affairs by two leading candidates Today’s Senator McCain To The Los Angeles World Affairs Council and yesterdays remarks of Senator Barack Obama and The World Beyond Iraq
I read both of them and to me they are much more aligned than different. Except for a few pointed comments by McCain about Russia and the need to stay in Iraq until the government is stable, the text could have been read by either Candidate. The differences between these two inspired leaders are not so much about strategy as about tactics. To me McCain seems to think first in terms of the use of force while Obama seems to lead with an initial instinct for diplomacy. But most centrally is the tactic of how much to rely on force to promote Iraqi stability and how much to rely on other forms of persuasion.
Again, I thought they were much on the same page on international cooperation, disarmament, climate change, hearts and minds, autocratic regimes, etc. The difference is in the details. And while I respect and appreciate both gentlemen, I favor Obama as the voice most likely to be effective at persuading our allies to forgive us and our adversaries to open their minds to new possibilities.
Born 1950, Married, Living in Austin Texas, Semi
Retired Small Business owner and investor. My political interest
evolved out of his business experience that the best decisions come out of an objective gathering of information and a pragmatic consideration of costs and benefits. I am interested in promoting Centrist candidates and Policies. My posts are mostly about people and policies that I believe are part of the solution rather the problem.